After a while a little flapper of a beginner came to tell Millicent that Miss Grig wanted her. Millicent, who had had charge of the petty cash during the interregnum, was absent for forty minutes. When she returned, flushed but smiling, to her expectant colleagues, she informed Lilian that Miss Grig desired to see her at twelve o’clock. "I notice there’s an account here under the name of Lord Mackworth," Miss Grig began, having allowed Lilian to stand for a few seconds before looking up from the ledger and other books in which she was apparently absorbed. She spoke with the utmost gentleness, and fixed her oppressive deep eyes on Lilian’s. "Yes, Miss Grig?" "It hasn’t been paid." "Oh!" Lilian against an intense volition began to blush. "Didn’t you know?" "I didn’t," said Lilian. "But you’ve been having something to do with the books during my absence." "I did a little at first," Lilian admitted. "Then Mr. Grig saw to them." "Miss Merrislate tells me that you had quite a lot to do with them, and I see your handwriting in a number of places here." "I’ve had nothing to do with them for about three weeks--I should think at least three weeks, and--and of course I expected the bill would be paid by this time." "But you never asked?" "No. It never occurred to me." This statement was inaccurate. Lilian had often wondered whether Lord Mackworth had paid his bill, but, from some obscurely caused self-consciousness, she had not dared to make any inquiry. She felt herself to be somehow "mixed up" with Lord Mackworth, and had absurdly feared that if she mentioned the name there might appear on the face or in the voice of the detestable Milly some sinister innuendo. "Miss Merrislate tells me that she didn’t trouble about the account as she supposed it was your affair." "My affair!" exclaimed Lilian impulsively. "It’s no more my affair than anybody else’s." She surmised in the situation some ingenious malevolence of the flat-breasted mischief-maker. "But you did the work?" "Yes. It came in while I was on duty that night, and I did it at once. There was no one else to do it." "Who brought it in?" "Lord Mackworth." "Did you know him?" "Certainly not. I didn’t know him from Adam." "Never mind Adam, Miss Share," observed Miss Grig genially. "Has Lord Mackworth been in since?" "If he has I’ve not seen him," Lilian answered defiantly. Miss Grig’s geniality exasperated her because it did not deceive her. "I’m only asking for information," Miss Grig said with a placatory smile. "I see the copies were delivered at six-thirty in the morning. Who delivered the job?" "I did." "Where?" "At his address. I dropped it into the letter-box on my way home after my night’s work. I stayed here because somebody had to stay, and I did the best I could."